Ten Questions to ... Beth and Matt (A Cloud of Ravens)

 Brooklyn duo A Cloud of Ravens have continued their meteoric rise in the gothic/darkwave scene this year with the release of critically-acclaimed sophomore album Another Kind of Midnight (on seminal imprint Cleopatra Records), from which a second video single, the excellent Tithes and Offerings, will be released next week (27^th April).

 

After a debut single towards the end of 2018, the band first gained major traction the following year, first with the Sacred Hearts EP, which featured the iconic track Alone In Your Dark, and which received a rave review from influential scene critic Michelle “Skullgirdle” Reich on the equally essential Obscura Undead website. This was followed by debut album In The Wicked Hours, which drew similarly enthusiastic reviews which summed up the project’s unique and broad appeal: Cult Faction correctly noted that "A Cloud of Ravens manages to harness all of the identifying touchstones of gothic/darkwave without sounding especially like any other act," whilst Bandcamp reviewers (equally appositely) variously commented that “each track is its own tile of a modern goth mosaic”, that the “depth of the entire album is intoxicating” and that the release was “as lilting as it is powerful”.

 Whilst many otherwise excellent gothic/darkwave acts fall down in some small way or another – having weak vocals, being over-derivative, being poorly produced, or relying on one-dimensional song structures, for example – here was a project with a great name, image, sound and songs, so it came as little surprise that Cleopatra Records expressed an interest in releasing the follow-up, Another Kind of Midnight which duly came out in March of this year.

 

Teaser single When It Comes, which was released prior to the album earlier this year, was a powerful statement of intent, which I reviewed at the time as “weirdly making me think of goth-era Damned embarking on a grunge phase”, which again highlights the difficulty of pigeonholing A Cloud of Ravens’ distinctive sound.

The album showcases once more singer/guitarist Matt McIntosh’s qualities both as a musician and as a songwriter with ten tracks with a winning combination of powerfully melodic choruses driven by bassist Beth Narducci and dark atmospheric verses with judicious layers of synths added to a more traditionally gothic rock mix. Well-respected scene reviewer Ken Magerman of Sounds and Shadows sums up the band’s appeal with this succinct appraisal: “This record is a perfect blend of the homage to the past and the modern construction of the future. Well deep power and resonant vocals carry these stalking shadow woven songs.”

Basically, it’s one of those albums where you mentally prepare for the next track being less good than the previous epic, only to constantly have your expectations confounded as a different avenue is explored in the same depth, and pretty much every track here could be released as a single, making A Cloud of Ravens one of the bands on the scene with the most potential to cross over to a more mainstream audience.

Keen to discover more about the band’s origins and motivations, I contacted Beth and Matt and was delighted and grateful when they not only agreed to an interview but returned (in record time) detailed answers which give further insight into this immensely enjoyable project.

 

A Cloud of Ravens’ music can be purchased via Bandcamp and other retailers.

 

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NVL:  You guys are based in Brooklyn, which to goths worldwide conjures up images of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, and to the modern scene also means Bootblacks but more historically the borough is invariably associated with the “drab four”. Do you feel that there is a Type O Negative influence on your music, with the marriage of melody and power (they were once famously described as “The Beatles meets Black Sabbath”), or in Matt’s accentuation of certain consonants in the sotto voce verse sections of some of your songs? Is there any distinct Brooklyn influence in your sound?

 Matt: I’m not sure if Brooklyn has a defining sound, but it’s hard not to be creatively inspired by the visual history of New York City; from the cobblestone streets remaining in lower Manhattan, to, as you mentioned, the austere span of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the dark waters beneath it. You can feel it and see it everywhere as a tangible thing. Bootblacks are amazing and capture the energy of the city so well. We love Thin Skies, and really, all of their output.

Beth: Two other bands that come to mind as having captured an era of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan as a sonic landscape are Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol.

 Matt: I was pleasantly surprised when I started seeing a review here and there comparing my tone to Peter Steele’s, though I’m pretty sure his voice is bass, and mine is probably more tenor. While we don’t directly draw from Type O aesthetically, I am a fan, and happy with any likeness. Melody + power is a major component of our process. Peter left a profound mark in BK, and worldwide.

 Beth: Brooklyn is the pulse for me. Having lived in several cities that are considered music hotbeds, Brooklyn certainly has its own very unique energy.

  

NVL: Matt, you spent a couple of decades in straight edge punk/pop-punk projects before gradually going back to your post-punk roots in the past decade, like many other artists on the current scene. Why did it take you so long to work in the gothic genre?

Matt: While I was never actually in any straight edge bands, it was pervasive in the hardcore scene while I was more involved with it. I never really considered any of the stuff I did as pop-punk. It was hardcore and post-hardcore mainly (post-hardcore in the mid-‘90s sense. Not the screamo-metal people now associate). But there is an element of melody and dynamics in past projects that could be construed as pop-adjacent, for sure.

My first band was called Pagan Dead, which was proudly death rock. I was 15-16. As we played more and more hardcore bills, our sound started going more that way. I was an unhappy/angry kid, and becoming further enveloped in hardcore was like an armour for me. Death rock was more introspective, and I needed the pure primitive aggression of hardcore in that moment, which ended up being many years. Over time you develop a better perspective, and see that you aren’t really a victim of your circumstances. All that time I’d been imagining a band like A Cloud of Ravens. Coming full circle has been a rewarding experience. As to why it took as long as it did, I tend to stay put where I feel most comfortable, which is probably a character flaw, but I also believe that things happen when they’re meant to.

  

NVL: Your songs often have a grunge-style structure, with a quiet verse followed by an anthemic chorus, a feature which many bands in the genre struggle with. Do you feel that your punk background has given you an appreciation of the importance of a good chorus, as your songs often have that mix of power and melody which characterized the likes of Bob Mould’s bands (Hüsker Dü and Sugar), or to take a very different example, The Damned in their more goth era?

Matt: Yeah. It’d be a stretch to not credit my background in punk to the creative process with 'Ravens. I try to write in a dynamic that I love to listen to. Gothic, and related genres are often characterized as dour and glum, but there’s a wellspring of power in those dark emotions. If that translates as something anthemic, I’m glad. So much of Another Kind of Midnight addresses the fear, rage and sadness we’ve experienced through the last political cycle, and the ugliness it's unearthed. But staying beneath it can’t be an option. As much as it references that frustration, we hope that it also illustrates our inherent ability, as energetic beings, to transcend that spiritual oppression, and come out whole, and hopefully stronger on the other side of it. It should be said that Beth, with her wealth of music history knowledge, and keen artistic sensibilities, keeps me on my toes. She is beyond integral in the creative process. I also love that you mention Sugar. Copper Blue is one of our favorite albums of the ‘90s. Bob Mould is definitely a hero.

 

NVL: Matt, you currently have a parallel project (Grandeur) with your drummer son, which has also garnered much critical praise. When a new song idea appears in your mind, do you instinctively know which project it would work best for?

Matt: Yes, definitely. I think there’s only been a song or two where it could’ve gone either way. But generally speaking, there is a well-defined delineation between bands. At least in my mind. Grandeur sticks its big toe into so many things; darkwave, synth pop, alternative, dance punk, with subject matter that deals more with our physical world. ACoR is decidedly rooted in traditional Gothic, and speaks more to what we can perceive outside of our five senses and 3D existence. My son James is infinitely more talented than I was at his age, and has his own projects and interests at play, so Grandeur is on the back burner for now. I'm proud of our output, and appreciate you mentioning it.

 

NVL:  From Bela Lugosi’s Dead onwards, Gothic rock has been one of the genres where the bass riff is often the key to the song. Which bass players from the past and current scenes do you most admire, Beth?

Beth: I love a tasteful bass line that sits just behind the beat, concise and minimal. But I also appreciate a player like John Taylor of Duran Duran, who is stylistically flashier, but always hits the right spots with flair. Peter Hook is probably the gold standard for bassists in our chosen genres, His melodies and playing high on the neck were so innovative, and inspired so many. Simon Gallup from the Cure, Andy Rourke of the Smiths, and David Barbarossa of Adam and the Ants are also favorites of mine.

NVL: Having spent many years working in A&R, Beth, is it hard to switch off the commercial and critical mindset and focus purely on creative energy when you’re working Matt’s song ideas up in a studio setting?

Beth: While listening to what we’re doing with ‘Ravens, I don’t hold it up to a contemporary standard. I look at it more in comparison to the records that inspired us, mostly records we grew up with.  We don’t generally clash on creative elements or parts, just the occasional synth tone or drum sound, rather than actual song structure. The commercial-meets-creative aspect comes in with the mixing for me. I get immersed at an almost granular level, as far as competing frequencies and where things sit in an overall mix. It’s important that listeners connect with the vocal and lyrics, and the artist in general is in the forefront. Not just the broader sonics.

 

NVL: With your significant A&R experience, would you say that the scene is exploiting its commercial potential at present, Beth? What do you think would be the best route to get dark alternative music to a wider audience?

Beth: To answer the question frankly, I think there’s further it can go commercially. To quote Alternative Press, “The 2020s are about to get a lot more Goth”. Obviously for some people it never went away, but what’s hopeful is that it seems to be permeating the mainstream, or at least drawing more fans as of late. Some people will like that idea, others not so much. There are constant nods to goth in film and TV placements and fashion brands are always pulling their edgy looks from this scene. I think it’s been a slow-build since the early 2010s, that has grown exponentially in the last few years. The sub genres have adapted and evolved, and subsequently more kids are discovering it.

Some things I’d like to see are more gothic/post punk/darkwave playlists, (Spotify editorial or user generated, on Apple, Amazon Music, etc) and more YT content in general. More places for discovery overall would benefit everyone.

 

NVL:  Living as I do in Scotland, I couldn’t help noticing the Scottish derivation of your surname, Matt. Are you in touch with your Scottish roots, and do you feel any Celtic heritage makes its way into your music?

Matt: I try to be very connected to my Scottish/Celtic heritage. My grandfather was born there, and my roots go back to Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders. I started getting more in touch with it all in my late teens, going to an annual Scottish games festival near where I grew up. I read Anam Cara by John O’Donohue years ago, and it’s affected me spiritually and creatively. That history, gravity and sentiment has undoubtedly had an impact on my expression, and likely always will. There’s a wisdom and lore in the Isles that’s very different than what exists here in the States, and I find both immersive and fascinating.

 

 NVL: Since Poe, ravens have been inextricably connected to goth culture, and the many collective nouns for ravens are uniformly unflattering, with most dictionaries listing “an unkindness of ravens” as the correct appellation. Where did the notion of “a cloud” or ravens come from?

Matt: Ken from Sounds and Shadows called it an “on-the-nose” gothic name, and I guess it is. haha. As an animal totem, the raven is synonymous with magic and mysticism. They’re elusive here in the northeast of North America. I saw one on a rural backroad in upstate Connecticut a few years ago, and it blew me away. I don’t know if that directly informed my naming of the band, but it certainly left an impression. It exuded a palpable energy; singular, majestic, enigmatic. While recording the initial demos for the band, the visual just kind of presented itself. They are so rarely seen, that imagining an entire cloud of them seemed to have such weight and resonance, and fit the mood and energy of those first songs.

 

NVL:  The new album is being released by Cleopatra Records, which is synonymous with gothic music and a sign that a band has reached a certain stage in their journey. How did the link up come about? Did you have any doubts about signing with such an overtly gothic label? Will you be releasing future records on that imprint?

 Matt: We were asked to be on Cleopatra’s Unquiet Grave compilation last year and the relationship kind of grew from there. We signed a one-off deal with the label, which seemed a natural progression for us.

 Beth: One thing that drew us to Cleopatra is that they have catalogs of so many of the artists that we admire and for that reason, people looking to license goth and dark music consider them a go-to. I pitch music for syncs as a part of my company but I feel that they have a depth of contacts and sync relationships that are hugely valuable.

My thanks again to the band for taking the time and trouble to answer my ten questions.

 

 

2021 - The First Quarter

 If one phrase could sum up both the prevailing forward-looking soundscape and the growing appeal of the goth/post-punk scene in the first quarter of 2021, it would be “dark euphoric melancholy”, the expression chosen by Kill Shelter and Antipole (effectively Scot Pete Burns and Norwegian Karl Morten Dahl) to describe the sound of their collaboration album, A Haunted Place.

With Burns’ razor-sharp backbeats and crisp production and mastering skills to the fore, KMD’s evocative reverberated guitar lines introduce a plangent yet uplifting tone which is further emphasised by the Scot’s monotonal lugubrious vocal delivery. With eight varied tracks which marry beat, melody and atmosphere into a convincing and consistent narrative, A Haunted Place is the Goth/Post-Punk Revival pick of the 2021 releases of the first quarter.

The remaining selections have been separated into two categories, roughly covering the key strands of the current gothic aesthetic, the more melodious and synth-dominated “wave” artists on the one hand, and the more guitar-based "gothic rock" influenced projects on the other. “Dark pop” and “Industrial/EBM” acts, although often popular amongst fans of the gothic genre, particularly in the USA, have not been included.

Top Ten “Wave” Picks of 2021’s First Quarter

Some of the genre’s big hitters are back with new releases after a silent, 2020, including Kaelan Mikla, Ground Nero and Whispering Sons. The Icelandic trio are back with an evocative single which continues their musical development and growing professionalism, and the accompanying video to Sólstöður (Winter Solstice) only heightens the sense that this is a band for whom a wider public awaits. Traditionalists may miss the pure unhinged energy of their days as a drums/bass/screeching punk band, but the gradual move to more traditional vocals and a synth-based approach has enabled them to paint a broader, more complex and increasingly subtle musical landscape, whilst retaining an other-worldly ambiance. Lyrically the track conjures up self-referential images of the band’s communion with nature, proclaiming (in translation) “Kaelan Mikla dances under the cold Northern Lights”.

 

 The two (very different) Belgian acts are taking a more uneven route to success, with Ground Nero’s charismatic frontman Gwijde Wampers having left the project and a mystery new vocalist (and as everyone knows, we goths love a mystery!) installed for new single In The Blood. From the opening chords it is clear that band’s trademark “gothic wall of sound” is still intact, and the swirling keyboards, pulsating rhythm section, plaintive guitar and emotional vocal are reminiscent of classic The Danse Society at their best, promising much for the album release later in the year.

 

For such a young band, Whispering Sons have clearly been playing the long game, reaching only their second album later this year having released their debut EP as long ago as 2015, and the tracks released from Several Others thus far underline their determination to continue to develop their sound with commercial success a possible unexpected benefit rather than a main aim. Surface is suitably stripped-back and incisive, with a more raw and vulnerable vocal from Fenne than was apparent on debut album Image in 2018. Satantango is a slower, low-key and more free-form, whereas the claustrophobic Surgery alternates between intense punkish claustrophobia and more ambient passages making the whole project as difficult to pigeonhole as ever, very much to the band’s credit and further enhancing their credentials as artists (think Nick Cave/PJ Harvey) rather than just musicians.

Other wave artists tackling that potentially difficult sophomore release include Mark E Moon and Future Faces, after winning plaudits for impressive debut releases. The Manx duo of Mark Sayle and Phil Reynolds covered most bases of the goth/post-punk genre on Reveal, and refine their vision on Old Moon, whilst still positioning Mark E Moon firmly in the centre-ground. Fans of more traditional gothic rock will enjoy the soaring guitar lines, chugging bass and echoing baritone vocals on The Falling, whilst wave fans will enjoy the uplifting melodies, sequenced back beat and layered atmospherics of a track like Event Horizon, on an album which they themselves describe (only partially tongue-in-cheek) as “The Sisters of Mercy meets The Pet Shop Boys”, perfectly summing up the current focal point of the worldwide gothic aesthetic.

 

 Future Faces’ stark debut EP Revolt was a wonderful breath of fresh air with lengthy multi-sectioned songs taking the listener on unexpected twists and turns, like discovering old stone follies on a stumble through the overgrown gardens of an abandoned gothic mansion. First album Euphoria bravely covers new ground, investigating different rhythms and textures to create rewarding soundscapes like Halcyon and Shallow, both of which have a hint of Whispering Sons about them, albeit with a string-bending, gazier and more under-stated feel. Less immediate than Mark E Moon, Future Faces are (again, like Whispering Sons) a band whose releases reward more focused, repeated listens.

 

With so many bands of the third wave now building on increasingly impressive back catalogues with each new release, it is arguably harder for new entrants to break into the established pecking order, but Mirror of Haze, Mekong and Ductape have all made waves (pun only partially intended) with their 2021 debut releases. With little genuinely new ground to break, new projects need to impress with the sheer quality of their releases, and all three artists do so, for differing reasons. Mirror of Haze have produced a superbly fully-formed sound of intricately reverbed guitar landscapes, dreamy, haunting vocals and mellow, (French) coldwave vibes, particularly on perfectly-named singles Drifting Into The Void and Forgotten Places, Forgotten People, with the vocal replicating the main guitar melody.

 

Turkish duo Ductape’s debut album, released at the very start of the year, impressed with the crystal clear melodies over a slightly angular dark electro and guitar backing. With hints of the great Anja Huwe in the strong female vocal over a busy and complexly interwoven backing on tracks like Tuzak, Labirent rightly won plaudits from reviewers and showcased an impressively singular take on the darkwave genre.

 

One man band Mekong (from Krakow) released their first teaser track, Industria, from the forthcoming Icy Cold release, End Of The World, on New Year’s Eve, with a hypnotic pulsing bassline over a syncopated beat, a twin guitar sound from the abrasively atonal to the sublimely ethereal, and a almost drone-like, kraut rock ambiance. March’s second track To The Hills kept the thrillingly old school post-punk vibe going, but with the addition of a higher profile, more melodic vocal, with certain sections very reminiscent of Bauhaus’ Dark Entries. The complete album is awaited with considerable interest.

 

The final two selections for this top ten both plough their own, very independent furrows on the broader fringes of the goth/wave genres, with New Mexico solo artist Slow Danse With The Dead keeping up his prolific rate of “miserygoth” releases and Chilean duo Diavol Strain continuing to stretch the musical boundaries with more almost cacophonous fury. For my personal taste, Slow Danse With The Dead’s frequent minimalist new songs are 50:50 hit and miss, but songs like Don’t Be Like Me, Son with it’s Lucretia-esque throbbing bassline, half-whispered baritone vocal, dark twang riff and low-fi production are perfect examples of a sub-genre which has been growing in popularity over the past couple of years, thanks also to the likes of Into Grey and Suffering For Kisses.

 

Diavol Strain’s reputation for uncompromisingly innovative deathrock-tinged darkwave over the past five years has been further enhanced by the teaser tracks for their highly anticipated album due this year, with El Reflejo Di Mi Muerte the pick of the bunch. Wonderfully lush and reverberated guitar, cleverly atonal basslines and anguished ethereal vocals create a warm yet unsettling mix which makes for a thrilling ride, like the dark and sinister undercurrent of a children's fairy tale.

 

 

Top ten “Gothic Rock” tips of the first quarter of 2021

It may feature only two tracks, but the wonderful new EP from German band Sweet Ermengarde is a much-needed return to reclaim the crown of the heavily Fields of The Nephilim-influenced end of the gothic genre. Now slimmed down to the core duo of Daniel Schweigler and Lars Kappeler, with assistance from highly respected ex-Nefilim sticksman Simon Rippin on this occasion, the Bochum-based project’s first release in five years is a pair of slow-burning epics, whose subtle soundscapes are brilliantly enhanced by typically sensitive and crisp mastering by Gordon Young.

 

 Another longtime Carl McCoy collaborator, Peter Yates, sprinkles some FOTN magical sparkle on another project, Matthew Rochford’s Abrasive Trees, contributing E Bow to one of the more ambient tracks on the new Without Light EP, although he doesn’t feature on the standout title track, where the more experimental mood is tempered with a more classical approach to melancholic melody for this ever-evolving project.

 

 This spacier, more ambient strand of the gothic spectrum is rapidly becoming dominated by San Francisco based duo Cult of Helios, who accurately tag their recent monthly new releases as “spacewave darkgaze”. Scene veteran Scott A Campbell was Fade To Black’s vocalist when they supported The Sisters of Mercy in SF in June 1985, and his rich warm tones and impressive vocal range are perfect for the band’s relaxed and relaxing sound, which always retains some surprises for the listener. Whilst their version of future goth staple Skyfall will garner the most press coverage, their own compositions like Lost In The Sky and Count showcase this excellent project’s distinctive sound to best effect.

 

 The slow-burning gothic epic has been a staple of the scene for the past three decades, and Dutch band Doubts About Waking’s track Winter’s Game from their 2021 EP Dust and Death leans heavily on the classic elements of descending bassline, baritone croon, tense-as-tripwire guitar arpeggios and swirling keyboards to create an satisfyingly dark delight of a track that gives Sweet Ermengarde a run for their money despite weighing in at a mere four minutes.

 As the world continues to struggle through the global pandemic, Belgian act Your Life On Hold continue to capture the zeitgeist, with 2020’s album Echoes From The Bardo further examining the eponymous Buddhist concept of a potentially lengthy period between death and rebirth, and earlier this year a new “Merciless” remix of Imprisoned from that album was the key track on a new digital EP. Building from an Elizium-style introduction and middle section,  the chugging main riff of Imprisoned effortlessly walks the tightrope between gothic rock and gothic metal with typically sumptuous production and the customary thought-provoking lyric.

 

Like Your Life On Hold, Brooklyn’s A Cloud of Ravens have added elements of the various alternative genres which have evolved since the original gothic rock sound originally crystallised in the mid-1980’s, and their new album Another Kind Of Midnight, the duo’s first for the legendary Cleopatra label, bristles with neo-punk grungy energy whilst retaining the classic vibes of albums like Phantasmagoria and Floodland, particularly on lead track When It Comes.

 

Goth’n’Roll was a genre originally stemming from 80’s acts like Lords of The New Church but only really refining around Finnish band 69 Eyes, and irrepressible vocalist Jyrki is back in 2021 with a new album from grebo sleaze-rock side project The 69 Cats. Lead single She’s Hot is as musically regressive as it is lyrically suspect, but as ever Jyrki’s wonderfully warm baritone saves the day as he once again out-Iggy’s the Detroit legend on a track that The Cramps would have turned down for being too obvious.

 

Equally unapologetically unsubtle in their approach are one of my favourite recent projects, Mexican band Animal Rojo, who showcase two new female guitarists on current single No Second Part for which they have produced an ice cool video shot in the scorching hot Mexican desert. Carolus Cat’s gruff vocal is the perfect counter-point to the no-nonsense riffing on a track which continues gothic rock’s obsession with biker chic.

 

Just released on CD is the curious album from Constance Tomb, effectively established metal artist Tom Reed working up songs during the 2020 lockdown from a demo tape recorded by his teenage deathrock project in 1988. The Washington state native’s songs operate in the same Killing Joke-territory as the more illustrious (grunge) bands from that region which would achieve global superstardom in the early 90’s, but many reviewers also detect shades of Christian Death and Bauhaus on some tracks. After very positive reviews, a second album is promised.

 

The final selection for this round-up was another project gaining more critical traction than their more mainstream rock project are French band Sang Froid, who found their just-for-fun gothic-inspired side project achieving immediate worldwide acclaim for their January debut EP. Final track Heavy Sleep Heavy Heart had an inverted chiming Chameleons riff soaring over a solid and full dark indie sound, with a low-key vocal adding to a sound not dissimilar to the late lamented Catherine Wheel.